Lesson 89: Surprises
About the Searcher
Last Saturday, my flight was scheduled for 6:30 AM. The plan was to surprise my grandmother with a trip home. Unfortunately, the sun woke me up when I realized I had missed the flight. Maybe it was because I mentioned TSA Precheck in my last newsletter, but either way it was not meant for me to get on that plane.
Before getting out of bed, I paused to check in with myself: I felt on edge. The surprise I had planned for my grandmother turned into a disastrous surprise for me. Soon, “on edge” turned into “calm” when I remembered there was still hope. By reconnecting with my emotions, I could think about the best next steps. Thankfully, I called the airline and they switched me to the afternoon flight, but it reminded me how panic does not serve me. Surprises will happen.
About Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition
On the flight, I read The Manager’s Handbook by David Dodson, former search fund entrepreneur and current professor at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He explained five steps for effective management:
Commitment to Building a Team
Fanatical Custodian of Time
Willingness to Seek and Take Advice
Setting and Adhering to Priorities
Obsession with Quality
This week, I heard from Mark Agnew, former CEO of Lou Malnati’s and Adjunct Professor at Chicago Booth. He shared advice echoed Prof. Dodson: “Get buy-in from your team,” “Seek advice,” and “Never sacrifice quality.” Searcher entrepreneurs constantly face surprises because this is often their first time operating a business. Surprises are best handled with a pause instead of panic so you can return to the wisdom within yourself.
About the Bigger Picture
My values are to act with love, humility, and wisdom. Eventually I made it home, and my grandmother was elated by my surprise visit. The surprise that made me miss my original flight did not need to derail my plans; the wise next step was calling for help, like Dodson’s Lesson 3: Willingness to Seek and Take Advice.
This is Lesson 89: Surprises. Next week is Lesson 90: Brand.
